Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-13
ssBLOCKADlNG,, WHISKY.
How Revenue Laws Are Violated
Under a SembJance OF Legality.

4
THE TEMPTATIONS THROWN IN TIE WAY OF REVENUE
| sToREKEEPERs-MoRE THAN THE LEGAL AMOUNT OF
WHISKY SAID TO BE MADE By SMALL DIsT1LLRRs-
WHY sToKEKEsrERs CosSIvE AZ SUCH EvAsloEs
OF THE LAW.
| "Will you tell the public something about the
operation OF the revenue laws on the whisky dis
tlliefS! inquired STAR reporter OF an ex-revenue
Official who has had considerable experience with
! that class OF producers.
"fes, certainly will. And think can give
you some surprising Information In regard to the
Illicit disttllaton OF whisky under cover Of appar
ent compliance with the requirements OF the law.
This Is accomplished by collision with the revenue
oinclals. In order, however, to make the subject
clear and to substantiate this charge must tell
| you something about the origin ana general con-
duct OF the business. The manufacture OF corn
whisky is one OF the most fertile
| sources OF revenue to the farmers who
| reside in the mountainous section OF
western North Carolina, Eastern South Carolina,
| Georgia and East Tennessee, as well as In the
! Piedmont section Or strip OF lOwland contiguous
sss % ge so
| close OF the civil war; no eognzance had ever
been taken by the General Government OF this
In the section Indicated numbered among his pos
sessions still, mash tubs and all the apparatus
essential to the preparation OF from five to twenty
garded as legitimate product, and one which
the government had no more right to tax than
| business had assumed incOnceivably large pro-
| portions and the Government in It's search
a network OF revenue regulations it found it had
aroused the hostility OF numerous class or peo-
| pie This belief, moreover, that the Government
IS depressing them still exists, and does much to
compicate their relations with the officials As
suon as the tax began to be levied resort was at
once had to 'moonshining' or secret manufacture.
1 of 4
hooks, aud the process was rendered as dark and
| mysterious az possible. The Government had,
however, anticipated this move. and no sooner
had the stills begun to operate than down on the
heads OF the mOonshiners SwOOped squads OF z. 8.
deputy marShalS, aided In many Instances by
troops, anu the county jaiis were soon crowded
| with offenders
"rhe eventual outcome Of the affair was the pas
| sage OF the numerous revenue acts which are now
In lOrce, and which permit the erection OF stills
OF X and gallons Capacity upon compliance
with certain Requirements. Every manufactures
has to ile a bond with the Treasury Department
and take oath That he will obey the laws and not
diotill more than the prescribed quantity per
| day."
THE REVENUE OFFICIALS.
"How are the revenue officials organized?" in
| terrupted the reporter.
Each State is divided into revenue districts,
and collector is placed in charge Of each district.
1t is the duty this officer to receive the reports
OF his subord1naueS and exercise general SUPER
Vision over the internal management OF his de-
partinent. Each revenue district is then subdi-
vided into g Number Ok smaller DISTRICTS over
which deputy collector Is placed 1t is part Of
the deputy collectors business to visit each still
as tue mixture OF corn and water is called, which
each tub Will hold. It is estimated that lSO gal
Ions Of mash are necessary Tor the manufacture
OF gallons OF whisky. Four tubs each holding
40 tii0ns OF mash. are, therefore, provided for
each days operations. And here the irst evasion
OF the law usually takes place. Instead OF having
tubs which will only mold 20 gallons OF mash, tubs
which Will hold 12O to lao gallons are provided.
Mash Is, therefore, supplied Ior The manufacture
nj " al Nrtsl nv IoI
BY some means or other the eyes or The deputy
collectors are pnd to this bit OF deception, and
the tubs are entered as holding only 90 gallons.
The next officer in the descending scale or rank
Is termed the StOrekeeper and gauger and he Is
brought directly i'll contact with the distiller it
Will ue necessary to give an EXTENDED idea OF his
duties Every storekeeper is obliged to file q
$1,000 bond with the Treasury Department and
take in oath for the faithful performance OF his
duties before commission is issued to him. He is
then Assigned TO the charge OF still and is per-
sonaiiy responsible Tor all It's operations. he is
not allowed TO carry on any other business with
out the permission or his superior officers and Is
supposed 10 give MS entire time and attention TO
the still! to which he Is assigned. He receives 81
per diem for the time he works Some IDEA OF the
construction oil still Is essential TO the proper
destanding of the duties OF this officer. log hut
is first butt, and In II Is placed the disuilling appa
ratuS. which consists chiefly Of two large copper
retorts or stills, under which are heating arrange
mentS Pipes lead from each still into Tub placed
between them, wich is called the singing tub
The beer, as the mash Is called after fermentation
is allowed 10 stand in the tubs for ninety six
carry IL into the singing tub. The residue In The
retorts is then cleared out and the beer is replaced
trough. The aicohollc solution next passes
through copper "wOrm," or spiral pipe and ow-
ing 10 its volatile properties is quickly condensed
by cold water. 1t is now raw whisky, and is con
veyed by pipe into
This latter is large ca,k which Is placed In an
clubhouse just large enough to contain it and
| which adJoins the still-house There is no door,
however, connecting them, and In order to enter
the clstern IL Is necessary to 60 of the still
house. Only the storekeeper is allowed to enter
the cistern. and IL Is against the regulations for
him 10 leave the door unlocked Tor a moment un.
less ne Is present. From the ciStern the eight
gallons OF whisky allowed by law is carried to the
warehouse and stored. Revenue stamps are then
gallon, and the whisky is ready for shipment 1t
is part OF the StorekeeperS duty to both measure
ana weigh the amount OF corn meal placed in the
mash tubs each morning and he must see that the
mash does not encroach upon the inches OF dry
space WATCH the law requires to be LETT in the top
OI each tub Before leaving the distliery at night
he is obliged TO measure the amount OF mash and
liquor which has been made during the day and
enter 1t In his official report He is provided with
nine revenue locks 10 which he alone has keys and
these are placed on the cistern, warehouse, meal
chests and the pipes OF the dlstilllng appar-
tons are not carried on in his absence num-
bered revenue stamps are affixed on three
TOT the principal locks in such way
ing. The numbers OF the stamps Used each day
are recorded in the storekeeper's report and from
time to time special agents visit the stills and as
certain II the numbers OF the revenue StamDs
amount or mash. whisky, &C, correspond with the
suorekeeper's Official Statement, which he is
obliged 10 hand in by the fifth day or each month
The di,tiller Is also required to hand In sworn
report each montn, covering the same items as
the formers, with which 1t must agree exactly NJ
will be observed, then, that there is no possible
chance for The dt,tiller TO make drop Of whisky
more than the lawful quantity unless with the
cOnnivance OF the stOrekeeper.
FIGURES THAT TELL STORY
"But what proof have you that the distillers do
make more than this?n interrogaIed the reporter
81 Will answer that by few figures which /
think are convincing. The cost OF distilling gal
Ions OF whisky Is as follows: 3 bushels corn meal
at 90 cents per bushel 81. so; half bushe rye meal
at 80 cents per bushei 40c; half bushei malt meal
at so cents per bushel, 4Oc. wood 5Oc; two men
Ions OF whiskey at so cents per gallon 400
TOTAL $11.55. The whiSkey sells Tor Sl25 per GAL
lon, making $40 for the gallons. It, therefore.
actually costs the diSt1iler 81 So more TO make the
whiskey than he can sell IL for. With large dis.
ti!ertes 1t might be possible to do this as The in
gradients could be obtained in bulk, but with the
small ones lt Is out OF the question. A man will
not carry on business in which he Is losing
steadily each day, and yet all the stills are in
active operation. The way It Is accomplished is
this. The mash tubs instead OF holding 70 gallons
apiece, according to the measurements OF the
deputy collector, hold double that amount Con-
sequently double the amount OF whisky allowed
by law Is prepared. The regulation 8 gallons are
placed in The warehouse and the tax On il Is duly
paid. The remainder Is carried to the little retail
liquor shop which Ii run in connection with each